Hunter's Lodge self catering Dartmeet, Dartmoor, Devon
Review by Jill Pendleton. Mid June 2010

Rob came with me on 'a visit' to one of our self catering lets. It was supposed to have been a day off, but Toni and John Evans were keen for me to see the inside of their little granite cottage close to Dartmeet where the East River Dart and the

West River Dart become the River Dart! So we travelled over on a warm Friday in June when the Moor was littered with cute young foals at every turn.

At Postbridge a Bride and Groom freshly out of the parish church were posing prettily for wedding photos on the famous clapper bridge. How very sensible to attempt this on a weekday and
not on a busier Saturday!

Directly downstream of here, Hunter's Lodge is a central spot
on Dartmoor and is perfect for walkers and countryside fans.
The river provides a constant background of noise which we
both find utterly relaxing.


Downstairs in the cottage is an entrance hall, a shower room with toilet and a kitchen with table to seat four.

The kitchen is well equipped and comes with tea towels, but towels are extra at 50 pence each. There is no washing machine and no dishwasher, but the owners offer to do a load of washing for £5 and drying for £5 should you need it.
There is also a washing line in the garden, along with a pleasant seating area that looks up the river.

I do think that you need a car or taxi to reach this cottage, because it is 4 miles to the closest grocery shop at Princetown. You should also arrive with sufficient food to keep you going for a few days, as you will not be walking to shops.

That of course adds to the attraction for some of us. A chance to rely on your own resources.
This certainly is a family space, and books and board games are provided. If you have forgotten how absorbing jigsaw puzzles can be, then now is the time to share a bit of quality time with the kids or a partner.

The stairs take you straight up into a large seating area where there is a tv and a single divan bed. An extra bed can be added. The room with L shaped settee is comfortable and snug under the eaves, and it leads to the only other upstairs room, a large wood lined double which can be turned into a twin room should you prefer.This room has a great view.

Toni offered us a most welcome cup of tea as we were putting our cameras away at the end of the visit. And it came with some seriously good walnut cake, so we sat out in the sunshine admiring the view and the well tended garden.

The website for this property shows it as being rather cold and stark. I tell you this not to critisise the web builder, but to let any potential visitors know that it is much more comfortable than you might imagine. The write up on the net sounds full of terms and conditions, rules and instructions such as the central heating regime, but I feel that's in a bid to let you know all there is to know, and actually, it's a friendly little place with more space up than down. A large portion of the ground floor is taken up by the owner's garage, which at first leaves you looking around for rooms which aren't there.
One thing you will find when you get here is a plate of scones and clotted cream to have with your welcome pot of tea.

As we sat in the garden we chatted about who would enjoy a stay here and came up with - almost anybody, including ourselves. It's more a place for a man with a map in his back pocket than your up to the minute natty dresser.
Better suited to Mums and children looking to identify all the wild flowers, rather than kick a football around.
I'm sure you catch my drift ......

I know that they do have many returning visitors. And here is the link to Hunter's lodge website.